A

MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S

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DREA M.

Dramatis Perfonæ.

THESEUS, Duke of Athens.

Egeus, an Athenian Lord.

Lyfander, in love with Hermia.

Demetrius, in love with Hermia.

Philoftrate, Mafter of the Sports to the Duke

Quince, the Carpenter.

Snug, the Joiner.

Bottom, the Weaver.

Flute, the Bellows-mender.

Snowt, the Tinker.

Starveling, the Tailor.

Hippolita, Princefs of the Amazons, betroth'd to Thefeus. Hermia, Daughter to Egeus, in love with Lyfander. Helena, in love with Demetrius.

Attendants.

Oberon, King of the Fairies.

Titania, Queen of the Fairies.

Puck, or Robin-goodfellow, a Fairy.

Peasebloffom,

SCENE, Athens; and a Wood not far from it.

A MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S

DRE A M.

ACT I.

SCENE, the Duke's Palace in Athens. Enter Thefeus, Hippolita, Philoftrate, with attendants.

THESE US.

OW, fair Hippolita, our nuptial hour
Draws on apace; four happy days bring in
Another moon: but, oh, methinks, how
flow

This old moon wanes! fhe lingers my de
fires,

Like to a step-dame, or a dowager,
Long withering out a young man's revenue.

Hip. Four days will quickly fteep themselves in night; Four nights will quickly dream away the time:

And then the moon, like to a filver bow,

New bent in heaven, shall behold the night

Of our folemnities.

The. Go, Philoftrate,

Stir up th' Athenian youth to merriments;
Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth;
Turn melancholy forth to funerals,
The pale companion is not for our pomp.
VOL. I.

E

Hippolita, I woo'd thee with my fword;
And won thy love, doing thee injuries:
But I will wed thee in another key,
With pomp, with triumph, and with revelling.
Enter Egeus, Hermia, Lyfander, and Demetrius.
Ege. Happy be Thefeus, our renowned Duke!
The. Thanks, good Egeus; what's the news with thee?
Ege. Full of vexation, come I with complaint
Against my child, my daughter Hermia.
Stand forth, Demetrius.- My noble lord,
This man hath my confent to marry her.

Stand forth, Lyfander. And, my gracious Duke,
This man hath witch'd the bofom of my child:
Thou, thou, Lyfander, thou haft giv'n her rhimes,
And interchang'd love-tokens with my child :
Thou haft by moon-light at her window fung,
With feigning voice, verfes of feigning love;
And ftoll'n th' impreffion of her fantasie,

With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits,
Knacks, trifles, nofegays, fweet-meats; (meffengers
Of ftrong prevailment in unharden'd youth)
With cunning haft thou filch'd my daughter's heart,
Turn'd her obedience, which is due to me,
To ftubborn harfhness: And, my gracious Duke,
Be't fo, fhe will not here before your Grace
Consent to marry with Demetrius ;

I beg the ancient privilege of Athens,
As the is mine, I may difpofe of her:
Which fhall be either to this gentleman,
Or to her death, according to our law,
Immediately provided in that cafe.

The. What fay you, Hermia? be advis'd, fair maid. To you your father fhould be as a God,

One, that compos'd your beauties; yea, and one,
To whom you are but as a form in wax

By him imprinted; and within his power
To leave the figure, or disfigure it:
Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.
Her. So is Lyfander.

The.